# 116-hr-8979: Qualified Immunity Abolition Act

116-hr-8979, Qualified Immunity Abolition Act, is a 116th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Hall, Kwanza [D-GA-5] (D-GA); status Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. (as of 2025-11-18).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-8979
- As of: 2025-11-18
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 116-hr-8979
- Congress: 116
- Title: Qualified Immunity Abolition Act
- Status: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Introduced: 2020-12-16
- Sponsor: Rep. Hall, Kwanza [D-GA-5] (D-GA)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2025-11-18

## Summary

Qualified Immunity Abolition Act This bill eliminates the defense of qualified immunity in civil actions for deprivation of rights. Qualified immunity is a judicially created doctrine that protects government employees or those acting with state authority from being held personally liable for constitutional violations. The bill provides that under the statute allowing a civil action alleging deprivation of rights under color of law, it shall not be a defense or immunity to any such action that (1) the defendant was acting in good faith or believed that his or her conduct was lawful at the time it was committed; (2) the rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution or laws were not clearly established at the time of their deprivation; or (3) the state of the law was such that the defendant could not reasonably have been expected to know whether his or her conduct was lawful.

## Related bills

- 116-hr-9010: To direct the Secretary of Transportation to carry out a study on the feasibility of certain transit options in the Campbellton Road transportation corridor in…
- 116-hr-8980: Nonviolent Drug Crime Expungement Act of 2020
- 116-hr-8941: To secure the Federal voting rights of persons when released from incarceration.
- 116-hr-8925: John Lewis Prompt and Accurate Reporting of Elections Act
- 116-hr-8196: Protect Black Women and Girls Act of 2020
- 116-hr-7217: Confederate Monument Removal Act

## Sources
- [116-hr-8979 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/8979)

## Related
- [116-hr-9010: To direct the Secretary of Transportation to carry out a study on the feasibili…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-9010)
- [116-hr-8980: Nonviolent Drug Crime Expungement Act of 2020](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-8980)
- [116-hr-8941: To secure the Federal voting rights of persons when released from incarceration.](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-8941)
- [116-hr-8925: John Lewis Prompt and Accurate Reporting of Elections Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-8925)
- [116-hr-8196: Protect Black Women and Girls Act of 2020](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-8196)
- [116-hr-7217: Confederate Monument Removal Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-7217)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-8979 (as of 2025-11-18).